Feillu wins Tour’s 7th stage in Pyrenees; Armstrong in trailing pack

Feillu wins 7th Tour stage in Pyrenees

ARCALIS, Andorra — Brice Feillu of France has won the seventh stage of the Tour de France in a solo breakaway.

It was not immediately clear who would take the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara, who trailed far behind the main pack. Astana teammates Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador are in contention for the overall lead.

Friday’s 140-mile trek from Barcelona to the Andorran ski resort of Arcalis was the longest stage this Tour. Competitors scaled the punishing Serra-Seca pass before the climb into Arcalis that is one of the toughest ascents in cycling.

Riders embark on two more days in the Pyrenees before a rest day Monday. The Tour ends July 26 in Paris.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The seventh stage of the Tour de France between Barcelona and the Andorran ski resort of Arcalis has started, with Lance Armstrong facing his first big test in the mountains.

The 139-mile stage — the longest on the Tour this year — features the category 1 Col del Serra-Seca before the climb to Arcalis, which is classified “beyond category.” The final ascent is 6.5 miles long and has an average gradient of 7.1 percent.

Armstrong is second overall, just a fraction of a second behind leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, and nearly all his rivals are lagging far behind except for teammate Alberto Contador of Spain, who is just 19 seconds back and is regarded as the best climber in the world.